Seriously, there are the kinds of shoots where everything comes together and feels good; the kids are comfortable, the parents seem as relaxed as parents can be on photo shoot day (I have been a parent on photo shoot day as well, I know how it can be!). And, even better: the family is willing to be themselves, shoot at their house, actually have fun (what? fun!).

Enter the kiddy pool, the sweetest 2-year old on a scooter I have ever seen, and a little girl who really wanted to show me her choreographed dance to the Frozen song "For the First TIme in Forever." (Not to mention one of the most laid-back 9-month olds I've seen.)

ABOUT 13 LUCKY DAYS

I'll take 13 photographs (or maybe a handful more) each day for 13 days and share them here. For me, shooting is about being present and passionate and grateful of even the smallest of details: a quirky pouted lip, the sweetest flyaway caught in someone's lipgloss. I'll also share a few words about each photo, a little story. And so, on to shooting for 13 days, on to sharing, on to feeling more present and thankful. These are lucky days indeed.

I'm glad you're here, and I hope you'll come back and see tomorrow's post...

DAY 7: GIRL RIDES UNICORN

Just to mix it up here on day 7 of my project, I decided to choose from one of three prompts: girl levitates, girl meets bear, and girl rides unicorn. To be honest, I was routing for "girl meets bear." I feel like there is so much emotional weight to juxtaposing an innocent-looking girl with a big, burly bear. Upon searching the Interwebs, though, I found that the only bear suits available were mascot-like, corny, and not the realistic grizzly I was envisioning. I have a series of these girl and bear pics in my head, in fact, but, sadly, the only realistic bear suit I could find is $6,500 a day to rent! Um, no.

And so, here it is: girl rides unicorn! And it's not necessarily a magical outcome: no styled outfits, no live horse with a paper maché horn attached to its head, no feats of Photoshop. Just the way I like it: a real situation, a real kid having fun.

My little India is growing up, learning where she starts and ends, where other people begin, and how to navigate her person. She is a talker, has never filtered her thoughts, and so her vulnerability is often just lying there for me to see--like a blanket left crumpled on the floor. It's a scary and beautiful thing to see, and, really, an honor to capture it on camera.

And, so, I thought I'd blog the images that went along with this image, which originally appeared over at The Chorus (the theme was "Thank You"). I highly recommend you check out both The Chorus and Amy Grace, who is it's passionate curator. You can also read the short piece I wrote to accompany these images below.

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Yesterday, in Target, like a beggar pulling a gem out of his pocket, you surprised me with, “Mama, will I get married someday?” “If you want to get married, you will,” I say. “Who will I marry?” you say. “Someone you like,” I say, and raise my eyebrows. I smile. You smile. You giggle your four-year old giggle, the kind that can’t be faked or contained. “I want to marry a funny guy who tells funny jokes,” you say, and I’m proud. Through the animated haze of childhood, you’ve managed to locate the core of a good relationship–friendship, laughter. And then, as quick as you laughed, your eyes well up and your mouth turns down. “I want to marry daddy,” you muster. One tear drops over onto your cheek. You know it can’t happen. I say, “That would be awesome,” and smile. When we get home, your wheels have turned, and you’re now triumphant. “I don’t have to marry daddy. I can be daddy!” You insist on trying on his jeans. At first, you’re thrilled. Big smiles, you’re just like daddy. You shrug your shoulders and seem refreshed; you stick out your chin and giggle. Later, you’ll cry about it. Daddy’s jeans don’t fit, and you trip over the deflated elephant-trunk legs and bang your elbow pretty good. I console you, pat your back, change you back into your own clothes. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” you say, once you’re back to feeling alright. “Well,” I say. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re you, and I’m glad daddy’s daddy.” “Ok,” you say, “I think I’m glad, too.”

Turns out the morning fog is magical when you're three-years old (or a photographer). Adventure around every corner!

We're settling in to our new house in Terrace Park, OH, and I'm just learning the light in the neighborhood (which I love). Sometimes, it's true, there's nothing better than a portrait in your own home or your own backyard. There's an intimacy and a genuineness that you can't at all get at a park or another neutral location. The memory, then, is even more strong when you look back at the image.

And the morning light! I'm telling you, clients of mine, so many of you opt for an evening shoot, which is great, but the morning light is often softer and glowy-er. What's more, kids are often in better moods, fresher, etc.

In any case, back to my editing I go...and I'll leave you here to report back again....

First, let's be clear: this post is for portrait photographers who, like me, strive to capture some kind of honest slice of what it might be like to be a human being. Editorial photographers or commercial photographers--who seek to capture clothes or other products in enticing/alluring ways--they might not be as interested in what I'm going to write about here.

But, as far as portrait photography (including weddings, engagements, kids, children, family, babies, etc.), there are a few things I've learned so far. I wanted to write it out in black-and-white to solidify it in my head, and, possibly, to connect with other photographers who work every day to create great images. Here goes...

First:Prioritize light. Of course, we've all heard photographers say that light is so important, and it is. It can underscore the truth you want to tell about your subject(s). It is probably the most important adjective in the sentence of the photograph you're trying to create (does that make sense?). It can be happy, ominous, calming. That said, keep an open mind about light. Often times, the light in a given room at a given time of day is honest to the experience of the person in that room. In other words, wouldn't it look funny to take a portrait of a dad reading a story to his son before bed if the light was bright? It might look surreal, or just commercial, and not honest to the subjects. Although, it's true, using odd lighting can add to the message you want to portray, so just, well, know what you want to say, and match the light to that.

Second:Prioritize the EXPERIENCE OF THE PHOTO SESSION and tailor it to your subjects. That is, do something natural/fun/engaging with your subjects in order to do what I call, "zoning" your subjects. Zoning your subjects just means that you're attempting to get them in the zone of being themselves, of laughing that funny laugh they have, of engaging with their kids in ways they would engage their kids when no one's looking, whatever. In order to zone your subjects, you have to be confident. I once had a very fine photographer shoot my portrait, and he mentioned that the degree to which you yourself are comfortable in front of the camera is the degree to which you'll make your subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera. I think this is true. I often zone my subjects by talking to them while I shoot and, sometimes, moving quickly from one set-up to the next.

Third:Composition, composition, composition. Know the rule of thirds, and use it almost all the time. Break the rule with flare, skill, and--darn it--throw away any photographs that don't do either one of those things. There is no exception here.

One little thing: This rule does not wholly address what some might call your "artistic or photographic eye," or the way you see the world, how your hand-eye coordination combines with what you see and where you stand to snap a portrait. Your EYE is, in my opinion, somewhat innate and fairly elusive. Hopefully, you became a photographer because you already had a hunch that your eye was a good one. I do believe that you can improve your eye, but only to an extent. How do you improve your photographic eye? Um, IDK. Shoot a lot, shoot in different ways, challenge yourself. Try weird light, different subjects, move around when you shoot, just mix it up.

Fourth: forget about props. If you're relying on props to create an interesting or pretty image, your image will eventually date you. Just like shoes and hairstyles go out of fashion, so will your choice in props. I try to use as few props as possible. I want my images to be classic, to withstand the test of time. Plus, relying on props to portray some kind of truth about your subjects is a bit odd. I mean, how much DOES a newborn's headband say about babies or what it's like to be a baby? Go ahead and reference Anne Geddess on this one, folks...even she's talked down about her initial over-propping in her documentary New Beginnings. Irwin Greenberg said it well, "Don't look for gimmicks to give your work style. You might be stuck with them for life. Or, worse yet, you might have to change your 'style' every few years."

*The caveat: if you have the time or inclination, and you've prioritized the most important things, go ahead and throw in a well-placed prop or two, but do so intentionally and with a mind to the subject's personality. Also, if you are a surrealist/fine art portrait photographer, completely forget what I just said.

Fifth: Forget about fancy equipment. This seems counter-intuitive, as most of us professional photographers are equipment freaks, but it's true. Go ahead and look on Instagram, or just do a general search for iPhoneography, and tell me I'm wrong about how you can take amazing images with any camera. As long as it's not a broken camera, of course, and--more importantly--as long as you're using it correctly.

*The caveat: If you have the money and forethought, and you've prioritized the most important things already, go ahead and get the right tool for what you want to shoot/say. That DOES help. But again, if you want to take an honest portrait of a person, you sure as heck don't need some particular camera to do it.

Last: Forget about editing. If you're relying on how you edit a photograph to make that photograph special, that's called a gimmick, and you might not be paying enough attention to the first 3 priorities listed above: light, subject, and composition. What's more: editing trends come and go like fashion trends, and this will FOR SURE date you like a pleated backdrop, baby. You might not believe that the matte-effect PSP action you've been hot on will someday be, like, as noticeably uncool as mall bangs, but, if you overuse it, oh, it WILL. Just, take a good picture first, and then add a little something-something is PSP or Lightroom, just a little.

*The caveat: If you are a Photoshop genuis, some kind of fine art editing extraordinaire, and extreme editing is part of what you're trying to say as an artist, completely forget what I just said.

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So, this is my little cheat sheet for good portraits of people--for what I call "good" portraits, anyway. Your definition of "good" might be different from mine, and you might not be interested in truth or honesty (that's another blog post altogether now, isn't it?).

In a nutshell:

1. Prioritize light, and use it to further what you want to say

2. Prioritize the experience of the photo session, and try to zone your subjects

3. Always, stellar composition

4. Forget about props (mostly*)

5. Forget about fancy equipment (mostly*)

6. Forget about editing (mostly*)

Of course, all six of these things are moot points if you don't know what you want to say as an artist or you don't know how to use your equipment. So, before you check all the boxes on that list above, be sure you:

1. HAVE A VISION

And, I mean, REALLY have a vision, people. Surf the net, learn about other photographers. Know what's happening in your field at all times. Think about who you are as a person. Take the time to write an artist's statement or something. Be intentional. Your work will be so improved for it, just as a business is so improved by the owner who takes enough time to write a business plan. And, once you have a vision, don't compromise. Stick to it, and don't show off other stuff on FB or wherever that isn't "you." That stuff is watered down, and it will only slow your improvement as an artist and business person.

2. KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT (including your computer and editing software)

And, I mean, REALLY know your equipment. Read your manual, duh, like, twice. Three times. How many is too many? Try different things, new settings. Learn how other people use your equipment, and keep learning it because man, does it ever change.

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I'm sure I'm leaving something out. This is quick and dirty, people. This is someone schooled for years in English literature and creative writing, here :). This is what I've learned in the past 2.5 years of shooting lots of people in lots of situations and always wanting that honest/beautiful portrait, though. I'm sure my list of photographic priorities will change but, for now, this is it. I know I don't live up to all of these standards all of the time but, man, I sure do try.

I'm ending now with two photographs, because that seems most appropriate. I chose these photographs because this guy was in his zone being himself, so comfortable in front of the camera. I could tell he loved his dog, can see something genuine in his eyes. Love his bare feet and scruffy-cool hair--that's how he was when I walked in the house...and that's how I wanted him to be seen.

First things first: this'll be a quick and dirty post for photographers who might be considering the purchase of a 35mm lens. I shoot Nikon (a D700), so I bought the Nikkor 35mm 1.4, which has a hefty price tag, so I really mulled over the purchase quite a bit. Of course, I rented it first, which was worth the $35 or so, because then I could really know if I liked it.

Also, I should just come right out and say it: this 35mm lens is my new favorite, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Of course, that's not to say that it should be every photographer's favorite lens, or even that it's the best lens out there. I'm a big believer that a) the best lens is the one that's on your camera, and b) the best lens depends on what you're shooting and how you're shooting it. That "how you're shooting" part is super key.

So, if I love the 35mm so much, what does that say about how I shoot? Well, I shoot natural-light portraits, mainly, and I love creamy bokeh and sharp-sharp-sharp images. I shoot fast, and I don't style my shoots, so I want the most natural and true-to-life images I can get. Go ahead and call my style "lifestyle" portraits, or whatever you like. The gist: I'm not trying to create images that don't depict at least SOME aspect of what it's REALLY like to be in my subject's shoes. Some of my subjects dress up or style themselves, but some don't. I like kids who dress themselves. Heck. I like kids in their jammies with scruffy bedhead. That's just me.

The 35mm fits that shooting style because it's just wide enough (as opposed to the 50mm) to work well indoors, and it won't distort the subject's face, as it's not TOO WIDE. Also, it does work well outside, because you can get a lot of interesting things in the frame that, again, you can't get in the frame with the 50mm. When shooting families up close or children near buildings, or kids or pets indoors, that extra 15mm of "wideness" can mean the difference between a pleasing composition and a useless image.

Also, one thing I think it does better than the 50mm (and I'm comparing it to that lens because so many photographers shoot with a 50mm as opposed to a 35mm) is that IT IS SHARPER wide open. So--it's true--you can open that f-stop to 1.4 and not worry that you might snap too many out-of-focus shots. (As such, this is a super great low-light lens.)

I might still snap on my 50mm in a field for a different kind of bokeh that I really do like, and I would definitely use my 105mm macro for newborn shots or shots of older individuals (such as high school seniors) standing and posing from a distance, but I really can't see taking my 35mm off that much. But, we'll see.

You might wonder why I don't just buy the 24-70mm, which gets rave reviews and covers a nice focal range. I have rented it. But. It's not a prime lens, and it's definitely not as sharp or as fast as a prime lens. And I like sharp and fast. So, I'm sticking prime around here.

One thing I've learned through the purchase of this lens is that, if you have the right tool for what you're doing, you can actually learn more about who you are as an artist. In other words, you can gain more VISION about what you're trying to accomplish as a photographer. Which is completely amazing, right?